Zahrah Malik and Dr Rutger de Zoete look over the findings from first annual report from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Back and Neck Pain.
Almost a quarter of Australians with back and neck pain have changed their work status due to their conditions, according to the first annual report from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Back and Neck Pain.
Study principal investigator Dr Rutger de Zoete from the University of Adelaide's School of Allied Health Science and Practice said the almost 2000 participants had already helped shed light on how chronic back and neck pain impacts their daily lives.
The study found that participants experienced a lower quality of life, with those suffering from back and neck pain reporting a score of 60/100, compared to the national average of 72/100 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2020).
"By collecting comprehensive, real-world data over time, our aim is to identify patterns, inform policy and improve care pathways to benefit the broader Australian community," said Dr de Zoete.
"Back pain is responsible for nearly one third of all emergency department admissions in Australia.
"What was surprising was to see the financial impact on participants and the difficulties they faced in accessing healthcare.
"More than 40 per cent said they experienced financial difficulties in accessing healthcare while 48 per cent said they paid more than they could afford."
The study found the average household income was $100,000 for participants, which is just less than the national average for one person ($104,000).
"This underscores the significant financial burden of back and neck pain, as a household's income can drop substantially if one member's earning capacity is affected," said Dr de Zoete.
Dr de Zoete said the first year's findings highlighted the importance of continuing the research.
"In addition to physiotherapy, medications, psychology, remedial massage, and chiropractic care, some people are even turning to spinal surgeries to deal with their pains," he said.
"Among individuals with neck pain, 75 per cent report using some form of medication to manage their symptoms, compared to 70 per cent of those with back pain.
"However, 38 per cent of neck pain sufferers and 35 per cent of back pain sufferers report experiencing little or no benefit from these medications.
"We can see how impactful back and neck pain is on our society, and how difficult it can be, both in terms of costs and access, to find some kind of relief.
"We want to use these findings to help direct people to the services and therapies that are the most effective."
Zahrah Malik has spent more than 17 years negotiating the health system with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the joints and spine.
"I was totally fine when I was younger, I was active, played sport, all the things you expect, but as I got older, I started to slow down," said Ms Malik.
"I was involved in a car accident and started to have this pain which didn't go away, so I just thought it was whiplash."
Ms Malik was referred to a rheumatologist by her GP when she was 18, but after a bad experience, she left feeling disheartened and sought assistance through regular physiotherapy appointments.
"I didn't start the process of trying to get a diagnosis again until I was about 23 or 24, and then I was told I had ankylosing spondylitis (AS), which is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the spine and other joints," she said.
"We tried a lot of different treatments that didn't work and eventually I was prescribed a biologic treatment program."
Now 34, Ms Malik said her pain is managed through the medication and continued physiotherapy, but it is not without its hurdles.
"You have to apply every six months to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for the authority to receive the biologics, and even then, it's not guaranteed," she said.
"If I wanted access to the treatment without the PBS, it would cost $50,000 per year.
"Living with an invisible illness can come at a tremendous cost, that's why studies like this are so important, because it brings awareness to them in general as well as the need for more support and accessibility."
